Wire fence tool



March 22, 19% J. H. MIESNER WIRE FENCE TOOL INVENT OR z'ea we r Flled June 14 195' This invention relates to a tool of simple construction which can be effectively employed for taking up slack in strands of fence wire and which at the same time will anchor the fence strands to the fence posts.

More particularly it is an aim of the present invention to provide a tool which may be conveniently carried in a garment pocket together with short lengths of wire with which the tool can be utilized for tightening the fence strands and for effectively securing the fence strands to the fence posts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool which is so constructed that the short lengths of anchoring and tension wire, with which the tool is utilized, can be effectively clamped in the tool to preventslippageof the wire relative to the tool while the toolis in operation. 1

Still a further object of the invention is to providea tool which can be adjustably positioned in engagement with a strand of fence wire for tensioning the fence wire to various extents as required, depending upon the amount of slack existing therein.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevationalview, partly in section, showing the wire fence tool in an operative position;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, partly in top plan, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a somewhat enlarged sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1, and

Figure 6 is a plan view on a reduced scale showing a portion of a fence strand as it appears after having been tensioned and secured to a fence post by operation of the tool.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the wire fence tool in its entirety is designated generally 7 and comprises a tool of the pliers-type including two lever members 8 and 9 having complementary elongated ends forming handles 10 and 11, respectively, and opposite complementary ends forming jaws 12 and 13, respectively. The handles 10 and 11 have complementary inner end portions 14 and 15, respectively, which merge with the jaws 12 and 13, respectively, and which curved inner end portions 14 and 15 are recessed on adjacent sides thereof and are disposed with their recessed inner sides in opposed abutting engagement with one another.

The crossed inner end portions 14 and 15 of the handles are connected together by a bolt and nut fastening 16 for swingably connecting the levers 8 and 9, in the same manner as a pair of pliers, between the handles and jaws. As seen in Figure 2, the combined thickness of the crossed portions 14 and 15 is substantially equal to the width of each of the jaws and handles.

The jaws 12 and 13 have complementary opposed transversely ribbed inner sides forming jaw faces 17 which a are disposed in abutting engagement with one another when the tool 7 is closed. The inner sides of the jaws 12 and 13, behind said jaw faces 17, are recessed to form an opening 18 between the inner portions of the jaws. The outer sides of the jaws 12 and 13 are provided with longitudinally spaced grooves 19 which extend transversely therethrough and which form outwardly projecting bosses 20 which are longitudinally spaced relative to one another and are rounded in cross section.

The side of the jaw of each lever, which aligns with the crossed portion 14 or 15 of the other lever, is beveled or recessed at the inner end thereof to provide a transversely opening groove 21 on each side of the tool 7.

The outer ends of the jaws 12 and 13 are provided with.

aligned grooves 22 which are located midway between opposite sides of the tool 7, as best seen in Figure 2.-

The handle 10, substantially midway of its ends, is

and on the outer side of the handle 11. Said lever elea ment 28 has a bifurcated end 30 which loosely straddles said last mentioned link end. The fastening 29 extends through one outer corner of the bifurcated end 30 and the other outer corner 31 thereof, which is disposed be-' tween the pivot 29 and the handle, 11, forms'a cam surface.

A fence post 32 is shown in Figuires 1 and 2 with a strand of fence wire 33 extending across one side thereof. Assuming that it is desired to tighten the fence strand 33 and to anchor it to the post 32, one end of a short length of wire 34 is wrapped several times around and .anchored to the fence wire 33 beyond a side of the post, as seen at 35 in Figure 6. The short strand 34 is then extended around the side of the post 32, opposite to the side thereof across which the fence strand 33 extends. The lever element 28 is swung upwardly to its dotted line position of Figure 1 to release the handles 10 and 11 so that said handles may be swung apart sufiiciently so that said jaws 12 and 13 can be opened enough to receive a part of the other end of the strand 34 therebetween. Said last mentioned end of the strand 34 is positioned longitudinally between the jaws 12 and 13, after which the handles 10 and 11 are displaced toward one another to close the jaws 12 and 13, so that part of the strand 34 will be clamped between the toothed or ribbed jaw faces 17. The lever element 23 is then swung downwardly and forwardly back to its full .line position of Figure 1 for locking the tool handles and jaws in closed positions. If the handles are not fully closed when the lever element 28 is swung downwardly, the handle 11 will be cammed toward the handle 10 by the corner 31. The end portion of the strand 34, disposed beyond the part thereof gripped between the jaw faces 17, extends longitudinally into the space 18 and is then bent to extend outwardly of the tool through one or the other of the grooves 21. It will be apparent that the tool 7 is positioned beyond the side of the post 32 which is remote from the side thereof adjacent to which the strand- 34 is anchored at 35. The tool 7 is disposed above the fence strand 33 and is displaced downwardly so that a part of the fence strand 33 will be engaged in one of the downwardly opening grooves 19. The tool 7 is then revolved clockwise as seen in Figure 1 about the fence Patented Mar. 22, 1960 *strand33, as a fulcrumi, Since the, tool, jaws areclamped to the strand 34, this will cause said strand to be tensioned considerably for tensioning the fence strand 33,

so-:;th at the:-strands;33 and. 34 :will be} drawn zaroundzthe post 32 as seen in Figure 6,;alIldTby rot-ating; 'tl1e;tool-17 several. times ,aroundrthe fence strand 33,ta;portiorr:of- ;the

strand -34 which is located; adjacent thesouteruendskofr thefjaws 12-and 13-.will.be:wrappeddaroundirandflans chored torthe fence-strands? asuseen at 364$ Thus, the:

fencestrand 33 is tensioned and alsosecured' to thepost' 32 by'the-strand 34-.

a distance equal to approximatelytwice the-'distancesbe-s tweenpsaid 'innermostgrooverand the outer fiildS'yOf the jaw-faces 17 asv thectool v11 .is-erevolvedapproximately 180 clockwise from its.-positioln of Figure:.l to: efie'ctai substantialtensioning ofthe fe'ncestrand 33., Whereless: tensioning of the fencetstrand is required, said .strandcan-w be engaged in the intermediate or: outermostbottomw EIOOVC: '19.

13, will be engaged in the end groove 22 of the lower jaw 13.; Thus,'the strand :34 willibe prevented-from twisting: laterally of the tool-jaws and. possibly slipping :Out of engagement therewith while the ztWiSt; or -windingtfid 'iS-I:

being formed. The bosses: are-roundedin-cross section so that the tool, 7 can be disposedatyan oblique angle relative toithe fence strand 33, as seen, in.Fi, ,n1re-:2,lwhiie;

It will ,be noted that: in Figure 11 that the strand :33 isgshown engaging :the innermost bot-t tomrgroove 19. Thus; thestrand -34 willnbe stretched.

beingurevoived; therearouncl.-. Thus, .th'eiool 7 can-rhea: maintained substantially, in alignment with-the-portion of v the strand 34 whichextends intokthe-jaws-lZ:and;:13;--

Itwili be obvious. that the tool-7 canberinverted so that-the'jaw 12 will bedisposed in a :lowerm0s.t:position,-:

and said jaw 1'2 willthenappear exactly as'the -jaw:-13-

appears in Figure 1.

Various modifications" and changes are contemplated? and maybe resorted to, without departing from the unction or-scope of the invention .as hereinafterde'fined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wire fence tooleofthe =-p1iers-type comprising av pair...of leversuhaving complementary ends forming .han: dles and opposite complementary ends forming jaws, said handles having inner ends disposed in crossed relation and pivotally connected to one another, said jaws having inner adjacent sides forming opposed jaw faces be tween which a portion of a strand of wire is adapted to be received and clamped when the jaws are in a closed position, and said jaws having opposite outer sides at least one of which .is provided with. outwardly opening grooves disposed transversely of the .tool, said grooves being disposed in longitudinally spaced relation to one another ,and inwardly relative .to' the outer ends of the jaw faces and being adapted to selectively receive a portion of a fence wire about which the tool is revolved as a fulcrum for tensioning the wire gripped in the jaws and for winding the wire about the fence wire, the selective engagement of the fence wire with said grooves varyingtheextent that the first mentioned wire is ,tensioned when the toolis' revolved around the fence wire.

2.- A-wire fence tool as in claim 1, said jaw-having rounded portions defining side walls of said. grooves whereby said tool can be positioned at an oblique angle to: the fence wire strand when revolved therearound for winding the first mentioned strand about a portion of the fencewire strand which is spaced from a portion thereof engaged by the groovedv part of the tool.

3. A Wire fence tool as in claim 1, at least one of said jaws having an outer end provided with a groove extending from the inner to the'outer'side-of said jaw iii-which aportion' of the first mentioned strand is adapted-to be-received'and anchored when the tool is revolved around-the-fence wire-strand to-prevent lateral slippage of-thefirst mentioned strand-relative to the tool jaws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS" 

